Small steamed buns of half-raised dough, pleated tightly over a juicy pork filling loosened with stock.
What makes it goubuli baozi
Half-raised dough, soft but not bready.
Many small, even pleats gathered at the top.
Minced pork with stock or water beaten in, so it's juicy when bitten.
Where it comes from
Tianjin's most famous bun, usually traced to a shop opened in the 1850s by Gao Guiyou, whose childhood nickname was Gǒuzi, 'little dog'. The name means roughly 'dog doesn't pay attention', and the story goes that he was too busy selling buns to talk to his customers.
The buns are known for their neat pleats — traditionally eighteen or more — and for a filling kept moist with stock beaten into the meat.